Featured Episodes

It was a sold out house with a ton of energy and the return of some roots favorites: Derek Hoke (Nashville laid back country soul), Todd Grebe and Cold Country (twang and songwriting from Alaska and Nashville), Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm…

Bringing back bison - like the ones seen at Standing Rock recently - and the prairie grasslands that sustain them - could sequester massive amounts of carbon and restore functional habitat for many other species, says Lierre Keith.

BOIBOY is a Kansas City Native. Who got their start in the KC art community will working with MYARTS (Metropolitan Youth Art and Technology for Students). They recently graduated from the KCAI Fiber Program and are currently a Charlotte Street Foundation studio resident. Their work tends to address issues related to dissociation, idealization, and identity, in a playful oversaturated and over stylized manner. Often their installations reference their catholic upbringing as well as nostalgia for an alternative reality. They are heavily influenced by film, set design, and narrative structure which is seen in the orchestration of a space, and the consideration as to how the audience will interact with the installation. Since graduating they have worked on installations for J Ashley Miller’s Echosis Opera, ElectoSexualual Halloween, and TheKemper Gala After Party to name a few. You can find them every Saturday at Peggy Noland’s Shop on West 18th street. On Instagram @BoiBoy2000, or their website Boiboy.com.

A La Mode is an authentic jazz band built upon Kansas City’s rich heritage of swing and blues.”Though it’s been years since these giants ruled the scene (Charlie Parker, Count Basie and Coleman Hawkins), the Kansas City sound lives on. Kansas City-based jazz and blues group A La Mode builds upon that heritage and adds their own playful spin that is classic-meets-contemporary.” –TheRecordKC.com. “Led by classically trained guitarist Clayton DeLong and enchanting songstress Jesica Poell, A La Mode takes the authentic smooth, bluesy and improvisational Kansas City jazz style and blends it with Latin-Brazilian, French and gypsy jazz.”,”You’ll think you have been transported back in time”- -The Record KC Magazine. Marvin Gruenbaum of the Kansas City Symphony on jazz fiddle, and world renowned salsa band leader Miguel “Mambo” DeLeon on congas, completes A La Mode sound pulling at your heart strings and leaving your skin tingling. A La Mode has also been known to feature guest artists such as Kansas City jazz legends Steve Rigazzi on upright bass and Rod Fleeman on guitar. A La Mode performs all of the old favorite jazz standards along side a few modern tunes with jazz flavor.

Jesica Poell, lead vocalist of Kansas City jazz band A La Mode, has studied classical voice for 8 years. She attended one year at Stephens College in Columbia, MO, pursing a degree in Musical Theatre Performance. She returned to Kansas City at age 22 to start her career as a working musician and has been in the entertainment biz ever since. Don’t let her small size fool you, this pint sized singer can pack a punch! Jesica has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Arrowhead Stadium, The Plaza Art Fair, The National Cattle Congress, to name a few.

Clayton DeLong was born in Poway, California in 1986. Raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Clayton began playing the violin at age 12. After receiving a guitar for Christmas at age 16, Clayton immediately fell in love. Avidly pursuing a career as a guitarist, Clayton enrolled himself at The University of Missouri Kansas City, Conservatory of Music. Working toward a degree in jazz guitar, Clayton studied under Kansas City greats such as Rod Fleeman, Danny Embrey, Doug Niedt, Michael Pagan and Bobby Watson. He graduated on the Dean’s list with a Bachelor of Music degree in 2009.
Using the knowledge he gained in college, Clayton has been a professional guitar instructor for six years and performs live music regularly. Clayton has performed and toured in many different bands from the Kansas City area. To name a few, El Robozo De Maria, Latin rock, the Junkadelic Funk Stars, an improvisational funk band, and numerous other jazz bands around Kansas City. Currently, Clayton is the lead guitarist for the country rock bands 6 Degrees West and River Town. Clayton also co-leads a jazz band of his own, A La Mode and plays with the jazz fusion group, Rob Foster and Dudes.

www.alamodejazz.com

Jordan Stempleman is an American poet. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Stempleman earned a B.A. in fiction from Columbia College Chicago (where he won the Academy of American Poets, Lannan Prize for Poetry), and a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop (where he was a Leggett-Schupes Fellow). He co-edits (with poet Nicholas Manning) the Continental Review, one of the longest running online literary magazines devoted to video poetics, and curates A Common Sense Reading Series. He is the author of eight collections of poetry including Wallop which was published in 2015 by Magic Helicopter Press. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri and teaches at the Kansas City Art Institute. editor of The Continental Review, a video-only forum for www.jordanstempleman.tumblr.com

Ben Payton, KKFI volunteer, joins us to talk about the importance of social media marketing; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

Social media often feeds into the discorvery of new content such as news stories, and “discovery” is a search activity. Social media can also help build links that in turn support SEO- Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of getting traffic from the “free,” “organic,” “editorial” or “natural search results on search engines. (searchengineland.com)

The Army Corps of Engineers will not grant the final permit needed to finish the Dakota Access Pipeline. Up to date information with a live reports from the camp from Antonia Gonzales of National Native News. Marei Spaola also gives insight into the situation.

The Death Penalty, Update on Elections, Prosecutor Misconduct and a Victim’s Family Member Speaks Out….and Your Calls

The Death Penalty was on the ballot in California and Nebraska, we find out what happened. One of the main arguments against the Death Penalty is Prosecutor Misconduct and human error, we will learn more about those issues as well. Then a victim’s daughter speaks out about where she stands on the Death Penalty and why. And of course your comments and questions.

Host Craig Lubow will speak with Stacy Pratt of Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty about Prosecutor Misconduct and the two states that had the Death Penalty on the ballot in the last election. They will be joined by Celeste Dixon who will talk about her views on the death penalty and how she felt about the defendant in her mom’s case being executed.

Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard star in a “Casablanca” wannabe called “Allied.” This romantic WWII drama features Pitt as a Canadian intelligence officer who falls in love with a French Resistance fighter (Cotillard) who may -or may not- be a Nazi spy. While Susan and Russ found some things to admire, they agreed about the movies weaknesses as well.

Earnest performances and good intentions don’t always lead to good movies. “Man Down” is a case in point. Shia LaBeouf gives a solid turn as a U.S. Marine who, upon his return home from serving in Afghanistan, discovers that his wife and child have fallen into the hands of some chaotic force. Is this a mystery, a sci-fi story or an apocalyptic drama? The answer isn’t clear until the movie’s final moments. Sadly, this well-meaning film never gets a grip on its subject and comes off as forced and pretentious instead of heartfelt and impassioned.

If there is a bird lover in your family, you may want to consider taking them to see “The Eagle Huntress.” This beautifully photographed documentary tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who lives in the mountainous region of Kazakhstan. Her dream is to follow in her father’s footsteps, capturing and training a wild eagle for hunting. She meets steep resistance from the other hunters in their very patriarchal society. The film unfolds at a very leisurely pace, so it’s not for young children. But for those with an interest in all things aviary or in search of a film about female empowerment, “The Eagle Huntress” delivers.

Also opening this week, Sonia Braga stars in “Aquarius,” the story of a sixtysomething woman, the last tenant of an apartment complex, who wages war with the developer who wants her out. “The Love Witch” is an unrated horror drama that pays homage to genre films of the 60s. “Keep Watching” is a horror thriller about a home invasion televised around the country. “Believe” is a faith-based drama about a financially strapped small town struggling to fund their Christmas pageant. Screenland Theaters are featuring the annual Arts and Crafts Festival, showcasing a number of films and brews. Information is available at screenland.com.

Lisa Hoyos is the Director of Climate Parents. She has been a campaigner in the labor and environmental movements for over twenty years, having worked with such organizations as the BlueGreen Alliance (a clean energy jobs advocacy organization), the AFL-CIO and Greenpeace. She also worked as a staffer to the California Senate Natural Resources Committee. Lisa co-founded Climate Parents in 2012 out of concern for how climate change is already impacting the health and safety of our kids and communities, and a strong belief that parents, grandparents and families are motivated to mobilize for clean energy solutions. In addition to directing Climate Parents, Lisa is a member of the San Francisco Commission on the Environment, and serves on the boards of the California League of Conservation Voters, Save the Bay and the Labor Network for Sustainability. She is Latina and bilingual, and is committed to building a diverse movement of families engaged in climate and clean energy advocacy. She lives with her husband and two school age boys in San Francisco.

Jeff Shafer and two Americorp volunteers join host Craig Lubow to discuss the work of City Year in the KCMO public schools. City Year utilizes Americorp volunteers to help mentor and tutor youth in five KCMO schools. Students that receive the services from City Year have a significant increase in their graduation rates from High School.

Recent News

December 29, 2015 By KKFI 90.1 FMComments Off on KKFI Jazz Calendar for December 28 – January 3

This is the KKFI Jazz Event Calendar for the week of Monday, December 28th to Sunday, January 3rd. This is shared for the benefit of jazz music lovers. Please check with the music venue to confirm details of the event. …

December 17, 2015 By KKFI 90.1 FMComments Off on Border Wars II: The Architects, Big Iron, The Racketees at Record Bar

Back on the first Friday of December, a lineup feature some of the loudest and heaviest rock and punk bands in the area stormed the Record Bar. Featuring Kansas City staples the Architects, Big Iron and the Racketees, it was …

December 14, 2015 By KKFI 90.1 FMComments Off on Pre-Thanksgiving at the Tank Room

The eve of Christmas featured a lineup of bands at the Tank Room. We managed to catch Yes You Are, The Fairweather and Not a Planet. Check out some images from the show and audio from Not a Planet’s set: …

December 14, 2015 By KKFI 90.1 FMComments Off on KKFI Jazz Calendar for December 14 – December 20

This is the KKFI Jazz Event Calendar for the week of Monday, December 14th to Sunday, December 20th. This is shared for the benefit of jazz music lovers. Please check with the music venue to confirm details of the event. …

December 8, 2015 By KKFI 90.1 FMComments Off on Electric Lungs Album Release at Davey’s Uptown

Back on Friday the 13th, the Electric Lungs released their latest full-length album, “Don’t Be Ashamed of the Way You Were Made” at Davey’s Uptown. Hair metal throwback Bone Spur, spooky rockers the Haunted Creepies, and Kodascope provided support. …

December 7, 2015 By KKFI 90.1 FMComments Off on KKFI Jazz Calendar for December 7 – December 13

This is the KKFI Jazz Event Calendar for the week of Monday, December 7th to Sunday, December 13th. This is shared for the benefit of jazz music lovers. Please check with the music venue to confirm details of the event. …